The most anticipated children’s novel of 2024

A million-seller that has sold more than 1.6 million copies!

The long-awaited 10th installment in Manbok’s Rice Cake Shop

Thump-thump, who will be the one to receive the new wish rice cake this time?

The 10th installment of Manbok’s Rice Cake Shop, one of the best-selling children’s novels in the 21st century, has been published. With more than 1.6 million copies sold, this million-seller series is a good-hearted fantasy tale that features children with their own deficiencies and issues as the protagonist of each story, with Korang the rat the mouse delivering the one-of-a-kind wish rice cake to the kids to bring back smiles to their faces. It has become a go-to best seller for children by delivering healthy and wholesome messages in the sea of provocative content, and the series was even adapted into a children’s musical in 2021. The author Kim Ri-ri continues to meet with kids through annual lectures at schools and libraries, incorporating the requests and wishes into the story to create the series.

The main protagonist of the 10th installment, Wangguri’s Rice Cake Shop, is the frog Wangguri who has diligently helped Korang the rat run the rice cake shop. The story behind Wangguri, who first visited the rice cake shop in the 7th installment Rang Rang Brothers’ Rice Cake Shop, is finally unveiled. Three brilliant wish rice cakes to make Wangguri’s wishes come true are also introduced – “acorn rice cake” that brings back lost memories, “ramie leaf rice cake” that makes you transform yourself into whoever you want to be, and “boiled millet rice cake” that makes your body the size of a millet grain – to promise an interesting story and a feast for readers’ senses. In particular, Kim Ri-ri has not forgotten to include the warm-hearted request of a young reader who “wanted to make rice cakes for adults because adults also need help.” The amazing transformation of Wangguri and the comical adventures of Wangguri giving goodness through wish rice cakes will touch the hearts of many readers and make them laugh.

◆ “Excuse me but……who are you? Where am I?”

Wangguri has lost all memories – now is the time for Korang the rat to shine!

Late into the night, when Wangguri does not come back after delivering rice cakes to the Haenim & Dalnim siblings, Korang the rat becomes worried and goes out to search for Wangguri. Korang the rat brings Wangguri back to the shop after finding them buried in snow, but Wangguri does not wake up and only snores loudly. That’s when Korang the rat realizes that Wangguri is hibernating and waits for them to get plenty of rest and wake up. Wangguri wakes up after a long winter comes to an end, only to not remember why they are here and who Korang the rat is. Korang the rat recalls the story they told Wangguri the first time they came to the rice cake shop and tells them the story about the rice cake shop and what Wangguri has been doing here.

At dawn, as Korang the rat and Wangguri fall asleep talking about the things they haven't been able to talk about for a long time, letters appear in the long-unopened “Book of Recipes for Wish Rice Cakes.” And Korang the rat begins to work harder than ever to make rice cakes for the recipient of the new recipes.

◆ Wangguri’s desperate wish and memories of the past that are finally unveiled

Acorn rice cake brings back forgotten memories of the past,

and ramie leaf rice cake makes you turn into whatever you want to be?

The first recipe is the acorn rice cake that brings back lost memories. Korang the rat digs up the ingredients from the basement kitchen, pours their heart into making the rice cake, and adds the secret ingredient by fanning the rice cake with the fan of Samsin Halmeoni, goddess of childbearing. Wangguri, who is frustrated they could not remember the faces of the children they delivered the rice cakes to and their own past, is able to recall everything after eating the acorn rice cake – even the clouded memories from long ago. It is only then that Wangguri can explain the reason why they came to the rice cake shop with a letter from Samsin Halmeoni.

Seeing Wangguri, who has gone through ordeals to deliver wish rice cakes to children, finally have their wish come true is as heartwarming as all the laughter that they have gotten from all the children. What kinds of new adventures would Wangguri, who ends up going to school after a transformation that completely surprised Korang the rat, encounter? The stories of Wangguri’s hilarious adventures and the stories that offer comfort and liberation to the classroom await readers.

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